Reasons To Brush Your Teeth

Keep your teeth clean if you want to protect your heart from diseases, suggests a new study that has found evidence of a link for the first time between gum disease and heart disease.

Periodontitis is a chronic gum disease, which occurs when waste material or plaque collects around the teeth and irritates the gums.

One can remove the plaque by brushing and flossing the teeth regularly. However, failure to regularly brush and floss can lead to the irritated gums becoming infected. Teeth become loose and can even fall out.

French cardiologists and dentists in Marseille looked at 131 patients referred to hospital for an X-ray examination of the arteries.

All were examined for gum disease and had their blood checked for inflammation.

The most severe tooth disease was associated with the most widespread arterial lesions. Dr Nicolas Amabile, Study Leader

Scientists found those with the worst blockages in their arteries had the most severe gum disease, reported the online edition of the Daily Mail.

The study leader Dr Nicolas Amabile told the annual meeting in Vienna of the European Society of Cardiology that patients with artery disease had more severe periodontitis than those without.

"The most severe tooth disease was associated with the most widespread arterial lesions," Amabile said. He added that the best way to protect your teeth is to rinse the mouth twice a day.

Gum babble

Early-stage periodontal disease (gingivitis) is seldom painful and causes relatively minor signs, such as red, swollen and bleeding gums.

But untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, a serious infection that destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth, and eventually may cause tooth loss.

What’s more, long-term periodontitis can lead to even more serious problems, including higher blood sugar levels and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Source: MayoClinic.com

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